Expanding Medicaid to low-income adults
A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) finds that expanding Medicaid to low-income adults leads to widespread gains in coverage, increased access to care, and — most importantly — improved health and reduced mortality. It is the first published study to look specifically at the effect of recent state Medicaid expansions on mortality among low-income adults, and the findings suggest that expanding coverage to the uninsured may save lives. “The recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act ruled that states could decide whether or not they wanted to participate in the health care law’s Medicaid expansion. Our study provides evidence suggesting that expanding Medicaid has a major positive effect on people’s health,” said Benjamin Sommers, assistant professor of health policy and economics at HSPH and the study’s lead author. The study was published online July 25 and will appear in the Sept. 13 print issue of the...